After being away from home for 17 days, I was so excited to be back in Vancouver and on my way home to get ready for a night of birthday shenanigans. Bf and I were driving along, catching up on things since I'd been away, and talking about how we were both hungry. Things were as they should be.
The next thing I remember, is better explained in colours.
RED.
WHITE.
Then I was looking to my left, at bf, who was still sitting in the drivers seat, except he was upside-down.
I realized what had happened, and before I knew it, bf was out of his window, and over at my side, trying to help me get out of the flipped over truck. My window had been crunched, and I was still wearing my carry-on bag that contained my laptop and other fun things. My carry-on was stuck on something, and the more they pulled me, the more I could feel pieces of glass and blood running down my hand. I screamed at bf and the by-standers who were trying to help them, and just needed a moment - half in the truck, half out, to figure out the best plan of action. I could see people tying a towel around bf's arm, as him and a few others got my carry-on unstuck, and pulled me out of the window.
Well, that was enough for me. I basically lost my mind. There had to have been about 20-30 people standing around, and the looks they give you are almost as horrific as what just happened. They look at you without smiles, or words - it was exactly like how you see it in a movie.
I buried my face in bf's chest and cried until the fireman came and held my neck. Someone kept calling me Brenda, and at that point I didn't care what they called me I just wanted the whole thing to be over. The ambulance came and we were both strapped to gurneys and wheeled away from each other. Bf was in one, and I was in another. When you can't look anywhere but up, getting an IV was almost easier. If I had to watch that scene unfold, I can guarantee there would have been a lot more then just a few tears - especially when the EMT man said he had to go "hunting for my naughty veins". Was this even happening?!
Red 7. Red 7. Red 7.
The paramedic gave me a colour and a number to remember, and so that's what I did. Red 7 became the words I would say during the ride to the hospital. The EMT guy asked me if I lost a ring because my wedding finger was bare. I told him I had no ring. He told me that when we got to the hospital, he would ask Bf why there was no ring there. I liked the EMT guy immediately after that, which was a good thing bc we'd already gotten past first base (aka the cutting off of my clothes).
Being wheeled into the hospital was like every scene of ER you've ever watched. Bright lights, people all around you, and you laying in pain while they decide where to put you. Bf and I were separated again - and I went into room 222 where I was hooked up to machines and covered in warm blankets. Glass was picked out of my hand, my earrings were taken out, and the police came to record my statement via iPhone. So high tech.
A CT scan.
A whole bunch of X-rays.
Still in a neckbrace andddd
A shot of morphine....
Shortly after that, bf had been stitched up and had joined me in the moment of relief when the doctor came over and said nothing was broken, a minor concussion accompanied by cuts and bruises - but we were good to go. Ok, well maybe not good - but all things considered, we were both very lucky people. A different EMT person had come up to us while I was getting changed into stylish hospital garb, and asked if we were the ones from the truck accident. He had seen pictures of the accident.
He told us someone must have been watching out for us.
Thanks for all the tweets and messages, it's so nice to know that other people are as happy as we are that it wasn't more serious.
Be careful out there people - because in half a second, your whole world can turn upside-down.
Literally.
